Reunion
by desolate butterfly
Summary: [SasuSaku, NaruSaku] Sasuke finally comes home to the rest of Team Seven. THIS IS NOT A HAPPY STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.


Title: Reunion  
Author: desolate butterfly  
Genre: Angst/Drama  
Pairing: SasuSaku, NaruSaku  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Sasuke finally comes home to Sakura and the rest of Team Seven.

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Sakura ran the washcloth slowly down Sasuke's back, easing away the grime and dirt that had caked there with a gentle hand. She watched his shoulders carefully for any twitch or shudder of movement, but they were still, if a bit stiff and hunched.

Sasuke's velvet black eyes stared straight ahead, stonily. The washcloth plunked again into the small bucket Sakura had filled with warm water and she began to do what she did best, which was fill up the silence.

"So Sasuke-kun," she said, smiling brightly, "I kept your old clothes for you: not that hideous black thing you showed up in for the Chuunin exam. Really, what were you thinking? But your blue shirt should still fit, and I tailored your shorts for you. And of course, Naruto has your forehead protector with him and you can ask for that back now. I know Tsunade-sama wouldn't…" here she had to pause to swallow a sudden lump, "wouldn't let us fill in the scratch but that's okay, right? You're still part of Team Seven. Even Kakashi-sensei agrees."

The washcloth wandered across Sasuke's bare chest now and Sakura pressed the tips of her fingers against the moist skin and hard muscle with fascination. It had been so long since she was allowed to touch, allowed to care so openly. And Sasuke wasn't stopping her or pulling away.

She held his wrist gingerly as she smoothed the cloth up the inside of his arm and then washed the slightly bruised knuckles on the hand.

"Next arm," she said, and Sasuke gave it up without complaint. He watched silently as Sakura rinsed the dirt from underneath each fingernail meticulously.

"Did Naruto tell you the good news?" she continued. "He was finally made Hokage. The ceremony is next week and he's to be fitted for his robes tomorrow, although he still insists that he's not going to wear the hat. Actually they were willing to make him Hokage two years ago, but he…wanted to wait until you were home. He said it wouldn't be the same without you, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura tenderly brushed the washcloth over Sasuke's cheeks and forehead and patted him dry with a towel. She carded her fingers through his freshly washed hair, which was longer then she remembered, and rested her own head against his in silence for a few seconds before manoeuvring him into his outfit. Sasuke resisted at first, but she was firm and he eventually gave in. She would not have him wear the clothes that Orochimaru had dressed him in. Especially now that they were caked in dirt and blood. She did, however, give in on the issue of the sword. It was alright to let him keep one thing.

"We missed you," she murmured, sliding her fingers down the front of his shirt, adjusting the wide neck. "It wasn't the same without you. Sai tries and everything but you know that no one could really replace you. And Naruto…sometimes he'd make jokes—that really rude kind you always hated—and he'd pause afterwards, as if waiting for you to call him a moron or a pervert like you always did. I'd hit him for you but it's not the same. So I knew you had to come back to us someday. Sasuke-kun…"

She hugged him, suddenly, her arms reaching around his neck and pulling his head down on her shoulder, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt, the painstakingly stitched Uchiha mon on the back crumpling between her hands.

"I waited for you," she whispered. "I still love you. I always did and I always will. So let's be together now, okay? Okay Sasuke-kun?"

Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door. Sakura pulled back a bit and called out, "The door's open."

When Naruto walked in, Sakura held Sasuke's hand tightly and smiled.

"Hi Naruto," she said, "We were just talking about you."

"Sakura-chan…"

Naruto looked at her sadly, Sasuke's forehead protector gleaming around his neck. Sakura watched his mouth gape open and smiled harder.

"I gave Sasuke-kun his clothes back. Doesn't he look much better now?"

Naruto's mouth closed in a thin line, and Sakura watched him move closer until he was crouched on his knees before them. His hand trembled as he reached out and gently closed Sasuke glassy, un-seeing eyes.

Sakura's smile crumpled.

"Sakura-chan…"

A sob ripped itself from her throat and she fell forward, one arm still around Sasuke so that he fell with her. Naruto caught them both and he held her to his chest and whispered soothing nonsense into her ear while she cried, Sasuke's stiff body slumped against his shoulder.

When Shikamaru appeared in the doorway, Naruto sent him away with a look and a nod. He could explain to Tsunade-baachan where they had found the body stolen from Sasuke's grave without Naruto's help.

His team needed him now.

Fin.

--

_Any commentary is appreciated. _


End file.
